Exome sequence analysis identifies rare coding variants associated with a machine learning-based marker for coronary
Ben Omega Petrazzini1,2,3, Iain S Forrest1,2,4, Ghislain Rocheleau1,2,3
1The Charles Bronfman Institute for Personalized Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
Insights
This study used an in silico score for coronary artery disease (CAD) to identify genetic variants associated with the disease. Findings reveal new gene associations, enhancing our understanding of CAD
Area of Science:
- Genetics and Bioinformatics
- Cardiovascular Disease Research
- Computational Biology
Background:
- Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a complex condition influenced by various risk factors and pathological processes.
- An in silico score, derived from machine learning and electronic health records, can quantify CAD progression, severity, and underdiagnosis.
- This digital marker holds potential for improving genetic discovery in CAD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between rare and ultrarare coding variants and an in silico CAD score.
- To identify novel genetic contributors to coronary artery disease.
- To explore the utility of digital health markers in genetic association studies.
Main Methods:
- Utilized UK Biobank, All of Us Research Program, and BioMe Biobank data.
- Performed association tests between rare/ultrarare coding variants and the in silico CAD score.
- Evaluated identified genes for existing genetic, biological, or clinical support for CAD.
Main Results:
- Identified significant associations in 17 genes with the in silico CAD score.
- Validated 14 of these genes with prior evidence supporting their role in CAD.
- Observed an enrichment of ultrarare coding variants in 321 aggregated CAD-associated genes.
Conclusions:
- The study expands the understanding of the genetic basis of coronary artery disease.
- Digital markers derived from electronic health records can effectively enhance genetic association studies for complex diseases like CAD.
- Further discoveries of ultrarare variant associations in CAD are anticipated.
Abstract:
Coronary artery disease (CAD) exists on a spectrum of disease represented by a combination of risk factors and pathogenic processes. An in silico score for CAD built using machine learning and clinical data in electronic health records captures disease progression, severity and underdiagnosis on this spectrum and could enhance genetic discovery efforts for CAD. Here we tested associations of rare and ultrarare coding variants with the in silico score for CAD in the UK Biobank, All of Us Research Program and BioMe Biobank. We identified associations in 17 genes; of these, 14 show at least moderate levels of prior genetic, biological and/or clinical support for CAD. We also observed an excess of ultrarare coding variants in 321 aggregated CAD genes, suggesting more ultrarare variant associations await discovery. These results expand our understanding of the genetic etiology of CAD and illustrate how digital markers can enhance genetic association investigations for complex diseases.
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